No matter how important a change in one of your company policies
might be, how you implement the new process is critical to whether
your employees will accept it. "It's important your
employees not feel something is being done to them that they
have absolutely no choice about--whether or not that's actually
the case," says Peggy Isaacson, president of Peggy Isaacson
& Associates, a human resources consulting firm in Orlando,
Florida. "How you make the announcement and schedule the
change has a lot to do with how it will be accepted and embraced by
your employees. Keep in mind, too, that people tend to be
uncomfortable with change, even when it may be to their benefit.
You want to implement new policies in ways that will make the
changes as painless as possible."

Making an unwelcome change can result in low morale among your
employees, a decline in productivity and even unnecessary turnover.
"The primary keys are communication and time," says
Isaacson. "Communicate with every affected employee so they
understand exactly what you're doing, why you're doing it,
and what the impact will be on them personally and on the company
overall. Then, as you implement the new policy, allow enough time
for people to get used to whatever is going to be different. During
the transition period, encourage your employees to give you
feedback. And be alert to signs of trouble: any general attitude
shifts, perhaps increases in absenteeism or other signals that
employees are dissatisfied."

The positive implementation of a policy actually begins with its
development, says Greg Hally, 35, co-owner of Hally O'Toole
Design, a full-service advertising agency in Salt Lake City.
"Even though our employees don't ultimately make the
[policy] decisions, they feel ownership because we involve them in
the process," Hally says. Hally helps his employees understand
what prompted the need for the policy, the reasoning that went into
its creation, and what ideas were accepted and rejected before the
policy was finalized. With this foundation, implementation is
usually only a simple matter of relaying the final details.

Is it easier to make a decision on your own and announce it
without discussion? Of course, says Hally, but that approach is
more likely to result in disgruntled employees who don't feel
like they're part of the team. Not only do Hally and his
partner disagree with a dictatorial style of management, they also
believe employee input helps create stronger, more effective
policies. "We hope our people always feel comfortable enough
that they can step up and offer something," says Hally.
"They all come from different backgrounds, and that diversity
can bring something to light that we wouldn't have thought of
otherwise."

Hide The Keys!

Some employees may not be so qualified to take the
driver's seat.

When you hand someone the keys to a company car or truck, how
can you reduce the risk that they'll endanger life or property
while they're driving?

Begin by setting a policy on driver qualifications and history.
The first step is making sure drivers hold valid driver's
licenses. Then decide what isn't acceptable in the way of
violations and check the driving records of your employees.
According to Deborah Jaeger of TML Information Services Inc., a
company in Forest Hills, New York, that provides clients with
access to motor-vehicle data, a typical policy may be that three or
more serious violations (such as speeding 15 miles or more over the
limit, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident or
racing) over a period of two or three years would be cause to
reject a candidate. A DUI conviction alone may be reason not to
give an employee driving duties. Also be sure to look at
individuals' accident histories.

It's a good idea to check out everyone who's going to be
driving on company business, whether they're driving a company
vehicle or their own. "There's a growing sense that if
[employees are] driving on behalf of an employer, there's a
responsibility on the employer's part to take action to remove
a driver who is known to have a problem," says Jaeger.

Your insurance company may be able to help you develop a policy
and screen potential drivers. Lori Denton, 35, owner of Galaxy Fun
Raising Inc., a South Daytona, Florida, company that provides
casino-themed event planning, says she provides her insurance
company with a copy of every job applicant's driver's
license so the insurance company can verify the person's
driving record. The insurance company, Denton says, has a vested
interest in helping her make good hiring decisions in this
area.

Jaeger says once drivers are on board, you should consider doing
an annual review of their driving records. If you see a potential
problem, such as a pattern of tickets, you can address it with
discipline, training or even by removing the person from their
driving position before something serious occurs.

Religious Rights

When religious practices conflict with workplace
rules

You probably know it's illegal to discriminate against
someone on the basis of their religion, but did you know that
prohibitions against discrimination also cover religious
practices, including dress, hairstyle and days of work?

Most lawsuits charging religious discrimination are
"accommodation cases, where someone does something in the way
of religious observance and the employer doesn't understand
it," says Michael Wolf, a Washington, DC, attorney, labor and
employment arbitrator, and co-author of Religion in the
Workplace: A Comprehensive Guide to Legal Rights and
Responsibilities (American Bar Association).

Employers have a duty to "reasonably accommodate"
workers' religious practices. They can disregard such
accommodation only if doing so would constitute an undue hardship
on the business. Although statutes on religious discrimination
don't define the term "undue hardship," court
decisions have indicated that it includes incurring significant
costs, reducing productivity, causing other employees to suffer,
endangering workplace safety or creating a violation of public
law.

Once an employee notifies management of a conflict between his
or her religion and work, steps must be taken to resolve the
situation in a way that allows for both sincere religious
observation and effective company operations. Most commonly,
accommodation takes the form of rearranging work schedules to allow
individuals to observe holy days, or rewriting dress and
personal-grooming codes to make allowances for employees who wear
special clothing or have beards for religious reasons.

Other issues, such as harassment and hostile work environments,
are more difficult to define. Employers can be held liable if
they're intolerant of employees' religious convictions or
if employees are subjected to religious harassment. Courts have
found behaviors that contribute to a hostile work environment
include improper humor, such as telling jokes about the Holocaust
to Jewish employees; daily transmission of prayers over
companies' public address systems; and preaching religion in a
way that makes employees feel they're targets of conversion
attempts. At the same time, employers can't discriminate
against employees who proselytize in the workplace if those
activities aren't interfering with business or objected to by
other employees.

While the legal obligation to accommodate religious practices
isn't a particularly onerous one, Wolf says, many business
owners don't realize it's an issue they need to be aware
of. "They're not paying attention to religious practices;
they're looking only at business practices," he says.
"If you have a diversified work force, realize this is
something you need to pay attention to."

Next Step

To check an applicant's driving record, call your
state's department of motor vehicles. It will tell you what the
proper procedures and costs are. If you don't have the staff
resources to handle this yourself, or if it's necessary to
research other states' records, it may be easier to use an
information service. To locate one, Deborah Jaeger of TML
Information Services Inc. in Forest Hills, New York, suggests doing
an Internet search for "motor vehicle records," or asking
your state's motor vehicle department for a recommendation.
Another option is to contact your insurance company for help.